Collective Bargaining Training

Lesson 1 • Types of Bargaining Units and Recognition

Defines what constitutes a bargaining unit and how unions gain formal recognition. Provides the structural basis for all subsequent negotiation activity.

Lesson 2 • Core Terminology and Concepts

Introduces essential vocabulary used throughout the bargaining process. Ensures precise communication in all subsequent chapters.

Lesson 3 • Legal Framework and Worker Rights

Examines the statutory rights that protect collective bargaining and the agencies that enforce them. Connects legal protections to practical bargaining authority.

Lesson 4 • Key Parties and Their Roles

Identifies unions, employers, and third parties and defines each party's responsibilities. Clarifies how role clarity shapes bargaining dynamics.

Lesson 1 • Conducting Pre-Negotiation Research

Teaches data collection methods for wages, benefits, and comparable agreements. Research quality directly determines the strength of proposals.

Lesson 2 • Developing Initial Proposals

Explains how to draft opening proposals that are defensible and strategically positioned. Proposal quality signals credibility and shapes early momentum.

Lesson 3 • Forming and Organising the Bargaining Team

Covers team composition, role assignments, and internal communication protocols. A well-structured team is the operational foundation for every negotiation.

Lesson 4 • Logistics and Ground Rules

Addresses scheduling, venue selection, and establishing procedural ground rules. Logistical clarity reduces friction and keeps negotiations on track.

Lesson 1 • Recognising and Countering Bad-Faith Tactics

Identifies surface bargaining, regressive tactics, and other bad-faith behaviours. Students learn to document violations and pursue appropriate remedies.

Lesson 2 • Distributive Bargaining Fundamentals

Explains positional, win-lose bargaining and when it is appropriate. Provides the tactical toolkit for claiming value in zero-sum situations.

Lesson 3 • Power, Leverage, and Pressure Tactics

Analyses sources of bargaining power and how leverage is built and applied. Understanding power dynamics prevents exploitation and enables effective advocacy.

Lesson 4 • Integrative Bargaining and Interest-Based Approaches

Introduces interest-based bargaining as a method for expanding value and building durable agreements. Contrasts it with distributive approaches to guide strategic choice.

Lesson 1 • Managing Difficult Conversations

Provides tools for de-escalating tension, addressing personal attacks, and keeping talks productive. Emotional management is critical when negotiations become adversarial.

Lesson 2 • Cross-Cultural and Generational Communication

Examines how cultural background and generational differences affect bargaining style. Adapting communication style improves outcomes in diverse workplaces.

Lesson 3 • Written Communication and Proposal Language

Focuses on drafting clear, unambiguous contract language and written proposals. Precise writing prevents grievances and arbitration disputes after ratification.

Lesson 4 • Active Listening and Information Gathering

Teaches structured listening techniques to uncover interests and detect deception. Listening quality determines how accurately negotiators read the other side.

Lesson 1 • Costing Non-Economic Proposals

Addresses the indirect costs of language changes, scheduling provisions, and work rules. Non-economic items carry real financial consequences that must be quantified.

Lesson 2 • Evaluating economic trade-offs

Guides teams through comparing the value of competing economic proposals. Trade-off analysis ensures the final package maximises member value within constraints.

Lesson 3 • Wage and salary costing methods

Explains how to calculate the total cost of wage proposals including roll-up effects. Accurate costing prevents budget overruns and strengthens negotiating credibility.

Lesson 4 • Benefits costing and analysis

Covers health, retirement, and leave benefit costing using actuarial and market data. Benefits often represent the largest cost variable in a contract package.

Lesson 1 • Drafting clear and enforceable language

Applies plain-language principles to produce contract articles that withstand arbitration scrutiny. Clarity at drafting prevents costly disputes during administration.

Lesson 2 • Grievance and arbitration provisions

Designs step-by-step grievance procedures and arbitration clauses that are fair and efficient. These provisions are the enforcement mechanism for every other contract article.

Lesson 3 • Reviewing and finalising the agreement

Establishes a systematic review process to catch errors, inconsistencies, and unintended obligations before signing. Final review is the last line of defence against costly mistakes.

Lesson 4 • Structure of a collective bargaining agreement

Maps the standard architecture of a CBA from preamble to duration clause. Understanding structure ensures no critical provisions are omitted.

Lesson 1 • Mediation processes and techniques

Covers how mediators facilitate movement and the strategies parties use to leverage mediation. Effective use of mediation often avoids costly strikes or arbitration.

Lesson 2 • Recognising and declaring impasse

Defines the legal and practical criteria for genuine impasse and the obligations it triggers. Misidentifying impasse exposes parties to unfair labour practice liability.

Lesson 3 • Returning to the table after conflict

Provides a framework for rebuilding trust and resuming productive bargaining after a work action or impasse. Post-conflict recovery determines the quality of the next contract cycle.

Lesson 4 • Interest arbitration and fact-finding

Explains interest arbitration and fact-finding as binding and advisory impasse resolution tools. These processes impose outcomes when parties cannot reach voluntary agreement.

Lesson 1 • Tracking and monitoring contract compliance

Establishes systems for monitoring employer and union compliance with contract obligations. Proactive monitoring catches violations before they become systemic problems.

Lesson 2 • Grievance handling and arbitration advocacy

Builds skills for investigating, processing, and arbitrating grievances under the contract. Strong grievance handling enforces the agreement and deters future violations.

Lesson 3 • Building a long-term bargaining strategy

Guides teams in developing multi-cycle strategies that align bargaining goals with organisational mission. Strategic planning converts each contract cycle into a building block for the next.

Lesson 4 • Evaluating bargaining outcomes

Provides metrics and frameworks for assessing whether negotiated outcomes met preparation goals. Systematic evaluation improves performance in every subsequent negotiation.